douxds
Overview
douxds, pronounced as “dudes”, is personal care brand made by men for men. It is the first in the market to introduce a silicone facial device and a clean skincare line for sensitive skin exclusively for men.
The brand aims to empower men with honest self-care knowledge and revolutionary products while reflecting a judgment-free, playful, high-value life and highlighting the relevance of American/urban culture.
Ideal Client
douxds aims to pique Michael’s interest — a 27-year-old bicoastal bachelor, living between LA and NYC. His friends describe him as confident and ambitious; he’s always up to try something new.
On weekends, he likes to watch sports, go to the gym, spend time with his family, friends, and girlfriend, or upgrade his wardrobe. He is refined and stylish; he keeps up with the modern and current trends, but he makes sure what he buys has a timeless flare.
It goes without saying that Michael is ambitious, confident, and successful. Hence, in social media, lifestyle and educational content that empower interest him. This is the reason why he loves douxds — he knows personal care products are essential to his success.
Brand’s Overarching Theme
For douxds’s overall creative direction, we are aiming for a modern, minimalist, and clean design with personality — a mix of high-end class with a 21st century flare. Be that as it may, we’d like to make it social friendly. We will blur the fine line between a successful product and lifestyle while creating a passionate following.
These brands made it possible, and we will, too: Glossier and Warby Parker. They’re known to be industry top-of-mind without being intimidating.
Typography
After combing through different foundries, journal reviews, and websites like Typewolf, I went after GT Super Display Regular and Untitled Sans Regular — what my gut tells me something Michael, your ideal client, will love. The GT Super family is listed in the 2021 popular fonts list.
On the one hand, GT Super is inspired by display serif typefaces from the 1970s and 80s. It is designed by Noël Leu, a Swiss graphic designer, and was released in 2018 by Grilli Type Foundry.
Untitled Sans, on the other hand, is classified as a modern lineal/neo-grotesque typeface drawn from the old-style genre of typefaces. Since its inception in 2017 by Kris Sowersby, it has bagged the following awards: Best Awards, Gold, 2017; Typographica: Our Favorite Typefaces, 2017; and Tokyo TDC Annual Awards Book Selection, 2019.
I was able to download the trial versions of these two, and they can be purchased in the linked foundries, for logistics purposes.
I chose these two because when together, it poses an unassuming-but-I’m-special vibe that’s rare and attractive — it’s simple but it screams winning personality, good taste, and style. They remind me of a modern-day mix of Rolex, Mercedez-Benz, and GQ.
Modern bachelors like Michael have refined taste, but always willing to try out products that stand out in the market. GT Super Display Regular and Untitled Sans Regular is a perfect pair of typefaces that seem to push creative limitations, attract confident and ambitious types, and yet give space for a friendly vibe.
Color
Color conveys emotion, and has meaning connected to it.
For douxds, the goal is to reflect an American high-end culture without being intimidating. These colors are the culmination of my study and research on luxury brands that stay powerful using user-generated content. I looked for colors that blur the line between “the ruler” and “the jester” or “the everyman.”
We’re shooting for simple and natural colors that are light on the eyes — colors that empower yet create a playful atmosphere; colors that make us social friendly without looking tacky.
Here’s a brief description about the color selection I created:
Orange — Evokes energy and vibrancy, while also maintaining a friendly appeal. Non-obtrusive and inviting. Fun + playful. Great to use to show high-energy, while not overpowering.
Blue — Represents dependability, loyalty, and calmness. Great to use for financial institutions, social networks, corporate industries and soothing spas.
Green — Represents freshness, balance or eco-friendly brands. Green also alludes wealth and growth. It is the color that represents “go”, and naturally alludes to positivity!
Logo
Application
Photography, graphic elements, and web elements are a unique opportunity to channel a brand's essence into something that will take the identity to the next level. Through this application, you can envision how the color, type, photography and logo all come together as a cohesive brand. These images are only mockups to help you imagine the brand in context.
Contrast in web elements is created through colored elements on top of light or natural backgrounds rather through strict black vs. whites. Warmer, contrasted photography pairs well with this cooler, calm color palette. Overall, the brand identity reflects a friendly, high-end, and fresh feel that men can expect and look forward to when reading and subscribing to douxds.
